Remembering the Taste of Senegal

2012 essay contest winner Arielle Ramberg\u27s Remembering the Taste of Senegal Ramberg traveled abroad in 2010 but participated in the 2012 essay contest

Utvecklingsplan för företag inom kulturturism : Fallstudie: Bistro Klykan

Arbetet har utförts som ett beställningsarbete åt Oy Pats events Ab. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka begreppet kulturturism och dess betydelse i Finland. Arbetet utgör samtidigt en utvecklingsplan åt säsongsrestaurangen Bistro Klykan. Bistro Klykan ligger i Nagu, Åbolandskärgård. I detta arbete presenteras fallstudien Bistro Klykan som är en nuvarande säsongsrestaurang i Nagu under sommarmånaderna. I detta samband har olika personer bosatta eller som arbetar i Nagu intervjuats för att få en inblick på hur kulturturismen ökat och hur matkulturen har utvecklats i Nagu. Bistro Klykans affärsidé presenteras och skribenten kommer att utveckla affärsidén med hjälp av canvasen från business model generations. Meningen är att restaurangen skall utvecklas så att nästa säsong skall bli mer lönsam. Arbetet är uppbyggt på nästa sätt: Först klargörs begreppet kulturturism så att läsaren kan redan i början får begrepp om ordet. Sen kommer en undersökning om kulturturismen i Finland och teori för utvecklingsplanen. Teoridelen beskriver kort de nio byggstenar som hör till business model canvasen. Sedan efterföljer en presentation av Bistro Klykan samt den teoribaserade utvecklingsplanen. Denna del innehåller även en swot analys.This thesis is commissioned by Oy Pats event Ab. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the concept of cultural tourism and its significance in Finland. The thesis will at the same time serve as a development plan for the seasonal restaurant Bistro Klykan in Nagu, the archipelago of Åbo. The thesis presents the case study of Bistro Klykan, a seasonal restaurant in Nagu during the summer months. Various individuals living or working in Nagu have been interviewed to get an insight into how the cultural tourism has increased and the food culture has developed in Nagu. The business concept of Bistro Klykan is presented and the author will develop this concept by using the canvas for business model generation. The aim is to develop a more profitable concept for next season. The thesis is structured as follows: At first cultural tourism is defined for the reader to have an insight of the concept. Then follows research into cultural tourism in Finland and a theory base for the development plan. The theory describes the nine building blocks of the Business Model Canvas. The thesis ends with a presentation of Bistro Klykan and the development plan based on the theory. This part also includes a SWOT analysis

Farmer knowledge sharing and social networks in agricultural extension : farmer perceptions from six Indonesian villages

This thesis is an empirical exploration of knowledge sharing and social networks among farmers in a context of agricultural extension. The exploration takes off from the development of the field of extension, examined in a literature review. The literature review shows that “traditional” agricultural extension, which implies a transfer of agricultural knowledge and information from governments and organizations to farmers, has developed and to some extent turned into more pluralistic approaches like Farmer Field Schools. Such pluralistic approaches to a higher extent consider and acknowledges other aspects of farmers’ livelihoods than the knowledge and information being transferred to farmers by “traditional” extension. Given this development, knowledge sharing and social networks among farmers has been investigated as an aspect that is important for understanding the development of the extension discourse. The study has been carried out in six villages located in the province of Yogyakarta on the island Java in Indonesia, where five of the villages have Village Learning Centers (VLCs) as part of pluralistic extension services. The thesis explores how knowledge sharing and social networks between smallholder farmers is taking place and function in relation to extension in this context. In addition, the study also explores how knowledge sharing and social networks between smallholder farmers is taking place in the village Semin, which do not yet have a Village Learning Center (VLC). Interviews have been carried out with farmers in the six villages and the theoretical field of social networks has been used to discuss the empirical material from a perspective of knowledge sharing. The findings show how social networks, in terms of groups and in terms of the social network that surrounds a person, enables knowledge sharing between farmers. Different forms of farmer groups, social events, collaborations and social relations are in different ways and for different villages important for knowledge sharing between farmers. Knowledge sharing between generations also plays a role. The findings show that some VLCs, together with farmers’ perception of their own and others capacity, are affecting the knowledge sharing. Attitudes among farmers to some extent also influence the knowledge sharing. Also, lacking resources and organization in the village Semin constitutes a problem for knowledge sharing. The findings from the villages are used in the thesis to discuss an establishment of a VLC in Semin from the perspective of knowledge sharing and social networks among farmers. The local farmer groups in Semin, together with improved organization and coordination, is emphasized as potential factors for future knowledge sharing between farmers in a context of extension in Semin

En utredning av Nyckelhålet med fokus på miljömässig hållbarhet

Diskussionen om klimat och miljö tar allt större plats i vår vardag och under de senaste åren har livsmedelsproduktionens koppling till dessa ämnen uppmärksammats. Medvetenheten om vilka livsmedel som är miljömässigt hållbara ökar och mycket forskning tyder på att livsmedel baserade på vegetabiliska råvaror har lägre klimatpåverkan i koldioxidutsläpp såväl som vattenanvändning och landanvändning än animaliska livsmedel. År 2015 kom Livsmedelsverkets nya kostråd. I dem är inte bara hälsan tagen i beräkning utan även miljömässig hållbarhet har vägts in. Samma år kom också den nyaste uppdateringen av föreskrifterna till Nyckelhålet; Livsmedelsverkets föreskrifter (2015:1) om användning av viss symbol. Kostråden och kriterierna för Nyckelhålet är framförallt baserade på de nordiska näringsrekommendationerna från 2012. Nyckelhålet är en märkning för livsmedel som ska göra det enklare för konsumenter att hitta de hälsosammare alternativen ur varje livsmedelsgrupp. Till skillnad från livsmedelsverkets kostråd inkluderar inte kriterierna för Nyckelhålet miljömässig hållbarhet. Kriterierna berör i dagsläget fett och fettkvalitet, sockerarter, salt, fiber, fullkorn, frukt och grönsaker Syftet med denna studie var att utreda kriterierna för Nyckelhålet ur ett miljömässigt hållbarhetsperspektiv. Detta gjordes genom att framförallt undersöka huruvida livsmedel baserade helt eller delvis på vegetabilier, till exempel växtdryck och köttsubstitut, har samma förutsättning att få märkas med Nyckelhålet som animaliska livsmedel, till exempel mjölk och korv. Redan befintliga data samlades från olika helt eller delvis vegetabiliska produkter och motsvarande animaliska produkter gällande fett, mättat fett, socker, fiber och salt. De livsmedelsgrupper som studerades var mjölk, yoghurt och fil, hårdost, färskost, korv, biffar/burgare, köttbullar, färs, grytbitar/ filéer, leverpastej och motsvarande helt eller delvis vegetabiliska produkter för varje livsmedelskategori. En analys gjordes för varje utvald livsmedelsgrupp och resultaten visar att ca 33% av de animaliska produkterna uppfyller kriterierna för att märkas med Nyckelhålet och ca 27% av de helt eller delvis vegetabiliska alternativen. Det uppmärksammades också att kriterierna för de vegetabiliska alternativen i många fall är bristfälliga och inte lika genomarbetade, i vissa fall till och med uteblivna.The climate debate is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives and during the past years the environmental impact of the food production has been noticed. The awareness of environmentally friendly foods are increasing, and research suggests that plant-based foods most often have a lower climate impact regarding carbon dioxide as well as water and land usage compared to animal-based foods. The National Food Agency of Sweden launched new food-based dietary guidelines in 2015 and for the first time environmental aspects was taken to account. The same year, the criteria for the Swedish front-of-pack label, the Keyhole were updated. The dietary recommendations as well as the criteria for the Keyhole are based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations from 2012. The intention with the Keyhole is to make it easier for consumers to choose better choices from every food category, however the Keyhole does not include environmental aspects. Fat, fat quality, sugars, salt, dietary fibre, whole grain, fruits and vegetables is today regulated in the criteria for the Keyhole. The aim of this study was to investigate the criteria of the Keyhole focusing on environmental aspects. The content of fat, saturated fat, sugar, fibre and salt of plantbased foods were compared with the content of same nutrients of animal-based foods and their ability to full fill the criteria for the Keyhole. The product categories that were studied were milk, yoghurt, cheese, fresh cheese, sausages, burgers, meatballs, grinded meat, filets, liver pate and plant-based alternatives to these products. The results show that about 33% of the animal-based products and 27% of the plant-based foods studied full fill the criteria for the Keyhole labelling. It was noticed that the criteria for the plant-based foods were less detailed and adjusted to fit the products

Compositional analysis of the Andean fruit Pouteria Lucuma

Lucuma (Pouteria Lucuma), an ancient fruit from the Andes, is now increasing in popularity in the global West due to the characteristic flavour and nutritional composition (e.g. high in fibres and phenolic compounds). The shelf life of the fresh fruit is short, therefore it is mainly used as frozen pulp or powder. The company Aventure AB’s cooperation with the Bolivian organisation called Swebol biotech aims to develop food products that will promote Bolivian innovation, production, and public health. However, there is a lack of knowledge in the difference in composition and properties between different forms (powder, frozen pulp or fresh pulp) of lucuma. The aim of this thesis was to compare and analyse different forms of lucuma from different producers, as a part of the Aventure-Swebol project. Three different powders, frozen pulp and fresh pulp were used. Dry matter content, energy content, pH, viscosity, colour, total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC) and Sucrose, D-fructose and D-glucose were analysed. Sensory tests were performed to evaluate sweetness and define sensory characteristics of lucuma. The results showed that dry matter content, energy content, pH and colour was differentiating the most between the powders compared to the frozen and fresh samples. The highest and lowest TPC and AC value was seen in fresh pulp and in frozen pulp respectively. The content of D-glucose was the highest, followed by D-fructose and sucrose in descending order in most samples. The conclusion is that the composition of lucuma varies in the different forms analysed. The reason could be processing technique, variety and biotype, and grade of maturity. More scientific studies are needed to be able to decide what form is most suitable for further product development including health, sensory, technical and sustainability aspects.Lucuma (Pouteria Lucuma) är en uråldrig frukt från Anderna som på grund av sin karakteristiska smak och näringsinnehåll (t.ex. mycket fibrer och fenolföreningar) just nu ökar i popularitet i västvärlden. Hållbarheten hos den färska frukten är kort, vilket gör att den främst används i fryst form eller i pulverform. Företaget Aventure AB håller på att tillsammans den bolivianska organisationen Swebol biotech utveckla en lucumabaserad produkt som ska främja boliviansk innovation, produktion och folkhälsa. Det saknas dock kunskap om vilken form av lucuma (pulver, fryst eller färsk) som lämpar sig bäst. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att jämföra och analysera olika former av lucuma från olika producenter, som en del av Aventure-Swebol-projektet. Tre olika pulver, fryst frukt och färsk frukt användes. Torrsubstans, energiinnehåll, pH, viskositet, färg, totala fenolföreningar (TPC), antioxidantkapacitet (AC) samt sackaros, D-fruktos och D-glukos analyserades. Sensoriska tester utfördes för att utvärdera sötma och definiera karaktärsdrag hos lucuma. Resultaten visade att torrsubstanshalt, energiinnehåll, pH och färg främst varierade mellan pulvren, jämfört med de frysta och färska proverna. Det högsta och lägsta TPC- och AC-värdet sågs i färsk frukt respektive i fryst frukt. Halten av D-glukos var högst, följt av D-fruktos och sackaros i fallande ordning i de flesta proverna. Slutsatsen blev att sammansättningen av lucuma varierar i de olika former som analyserades. Orsaken kan vara processteknik, sort och biotyp samt mognadsgrad av frukten. Fler studier behövs för att kunna bestämma vilken form som bäst lämpar sig för vidare produktutveckling med hänsyn till hälso-, sensorik och hållbarhetsaspekter

The Role of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles and Procoagulant Phospholipid Activity in Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the formation of a blood clot in, most commonly, the deep veins of the lower extremities and the pulmonary circulation. VTE is a prevalent disease associated with severe short- and long-term complications. Negatively charged procoagulant phospholipids (PPL), and phosphatidylserine (PS) in particular, are vital to efficient coagulation activation, and found expressed on the surface of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and activated platelets. The overall aim of the present thesis was to develop an easily available and reproducible FXa-dependent clotting assay to measure PPL activity in plasma, and further use the assay to investigate the association between plasma PPL activity and the risk of VTE. In paper I, we investigate the impact of several pre-analytical conditions on EV concentration and size measured by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In paper II, we developed a modified FXa-dependent clotting assay by substituting the chemically phospholipid depleted plasma with PPL-depleted plasma obtained by ultracentrifugation. In paper III, we used our modified PPL assay to investigate the association between PPL clotting time (PPLCT) and the risk of incident VTE in a nested case-control study derived from a population based cohort (the Tromsø study). Previous studies have suggest that statin treatment reduced the risk of recurrent VTE. In paper IV, we investigated the impact of statin treatment (rosuvastatin) on PPL activity, using the modified PPL assay and plasma samples from the STAtins Reduce Thrombophilia trial. The impact of pre-analytical conditions (i.e. anticoagulants, centrifugation protocols, and fasting status) on EV measurements was demonstrated, and the obstacle of post-prandial lipoproteins interfering with NTA analysis was particularly highlighted. We found that the modified PPL assay displayed similar sensitivity and reproducibility compared to commercial assays based on chemically phospholipid-depleted plasma. We observed an inverse association between plasma PPLCT, assessed by the modified assay, and the risk of future VTE in a population-based nested case-control study. Additionally, rosuvastatin treatment caused a substantial decrease in plasma PPL activity in subjects with a history of VTE. The development of the modified PPL assay enabled us to perform high-quality measurements in large-scale studies. The inverse association between PPLCT and VTE risk supports an important role of plasma PPL in the pathogenesis of VTE and may partly explain the reduced risk of VTE recurrence observed by statin treatment